Politician calls for an upper limit for Free2Play rip-offs and subscription traps
Since the launch of Diablo Immortal two weeks ago, the industry is once again turning its attention to mobile games and microtransactions. Because Blizzard’s action role-playing game is also struggling with serious Pay2Win allegations and is leading many of its users onto the slippery slope with different in-game currencies and confusing real-money systems.
A problem shared with many others mobile games shares, which means that the mobile games with their payment models can become real money pits. The hamburger Consumer Protection Senator Anna Gallina now wants to take action against such practices and advocated measures at the consumer protection ministers’ conference in Weimar last week.
Consumer Protection Senator wants protective measures against cost traps
One of Gallina’s main concerns is the better Protection of children and young peopleto which they also belong on twitter said: “We need more effective protective measures to better protect children and young people from cost traps when making in-app purchases. The consumer protection ministers will be discussing an initiative from Hamburg this week.”
According to Gallina, one step to ensure better protection is one additional authentication for in-app purchases: Instead of a simple click with the entered Credit card Requiring a password or fingerprint could help regulate uncontrolled purchases.
The Consumer Protection Minister emphasized that the costs for microtransactions should be based on pocket money capacities, but did not name a specific amount. Even independently of children and young people, Gallina advocated one financial ceiling and led the state gambling treaty, which was introduced at online casinos monthly limit of 1000 euros has set.
Finally, the minister came up Third-Party Charges to speak during online games. For example, users incur costs for additional functions via the mobile phone bill: an aspect that has to be deactivated manually in the settings. Gallina sat down for one default lock this option on new devices and named this “an important measure against fraudulent subscription traps”.
Source: Heise (via German Press Agency) / Anna Gallina on Twitter
Reference-www.pcgames.de